Live synaesthesia of sound and image
The first question was about the process, and Franck explained that he always writes the music for each of his projects first, then forms ideas, and then adapts that material through discussion with his numerous collaborators through the process. He pointed out that he relies on intuition, improvisation and attempts, and develops a project depending on the results.
He emphasized the importance of cooperation with dramaturge, video artist, costume designer, stage designer, and other collaborators on his projects. He explained that, although he is the author of the concept, they all inspire each other, love and respect each other’s work, which leads to high quality results. What a project like Flesh needs, apart from good cooperation, is a lot of time, about two years, he said. Two dancers that we saw on stage have also gone through a long and intense process of training, both physical and mental, mastering a very long and precise yoga technique with the choreographer.
Franck said that his work must always come from his own experience, from his own heart, so it could convey his message. Flesh, for example, was based on the experience of a traffic accident he had twenty years ago.
Vigroux also talked about synaesthesia as an important element of his pieces. Creating live sound on stage, accompanied by the video artist who often also generates live moving images, Franck produces a unique experience that merge audio and visual stimuli into an integrated event. That event does not necessarily have a sensible meaning, and his pieces never offer an interpretation anyway, but let the audience feel, experience and interpret the event based on their own senses. During performances, he relies mostly on his intuition, and tries to transfer his own feelings to the audience.
In the end, Vigroux announced his next project, Forest, which tackles the issue of the subconscious while also remaining open for everyone’s personal interpretation.
We asked the audience for their impressions.
Parezanović Natalija
“Actually, I have found every performance at this Bitef a bit apocalyptic, and I think people need awakening. We’re all in the soup, and horrible things are going to happen if we don’t come to our senses. So, this performance reeks of the end of the world, too. And I think that only young people have that impression, the ones who made the performances. They must have that feeling since they decided to try and call our generations out for bringing us all to this edge - by keeping silent, or by adapting, by trying to satisfy someone else’s needs, the needs of the capitalists, if I must say so”.
Ružica Dević
“I think it’s excellent because it’s different from traditional theatre. Visual and sound effects were amazing, I had a physical response to them. Dancers, or actresses were also terrific. The atmosphere is apocalyptic, post-humanist, and they did a great job, I’m amazed. The entire piece was truly wonderful”.
